Top 5 DIY Home Security Products
As the saying goes, your home is your castle. It contains all of your most treasured possessions and memories, and it should be the place that you and your family feels the most safe. Unfortunately, break-ins and burglaries are common throughout the United States, with an average of $2,361 worth of valuables stolen at each incident. Therefore, it is understandable that many homeowners feel the need to take measures to protect their property from intruders.
Thankfully, there are now many high-tech options on the market which can provide you and your family peace of mind that your home is safe and secure. With motion sensors, live-stream night vision cameras, alarms and video doorbells to choose from, however, the list can seem long and confusing. Which products are genuinely useful when it comes to defending your home?
In this article, we bring you our favorite home security products, as mentioned by Ryan in our How To Home Podcast.
If you find yourself a little anxious when the doorbell rings unexpectedly, this video doorbell from Ring is a fantastic way to make sure whoever is outside your home isn’t a potential threat. This clever device allows you to see and speak to the person on your doorstep, all without opening the door. Therefore, you can quickly assess whether or not the visitor has good intentions before making a decision to respond to them.
The Ring Video Doorbell comes complete with a 1080p HD monitor and a high-quality display. It also uses motion detection and crisp infrared night vision, so you can see exactly what is happening outside your home at any time of day or night. The doorbell camera effortlessly connects to your cell phone, computer, or tablet in minutes and allows you to keep a watchful eye over your property no matter where you are.
…you can quickly assess whether or not the visitor has good intentions before making a decision to respond to them.
In terms of power, you can choose to have the doorbell wired into the main home electrical grid or opt for battery-powered operation. A rechargeable battery pack is included as standard. If you do choose to use battery power, though, you should be aware that they will need to be charged regularly, which may get tiresome.
Key Points
- Video doorbell with 1080p HD monitor, motion detection and night vision
- Can connect to your computer and mobile devices so you can answer the door from wherever you are
- Can be wired into the mains or battery powered
- Comes with a rechargeable battery pack
- Battery life between charges may be quite short
Blink cameras offer an easy solution to home security. These compact, wireless cameras are battery operated and simple to set up both inside and outside your property.
Offering 720p HD video, these cameras provide crisp, clear images without any distortion or blurring. Accessing on-demand, live streaming to check-in on your home whenever you wish is simple with the Blink app: in only a few clicks, you can keep an eye on your property from miles away. One way audio is also supported, which means you can listen in to any activity in and around your home. Furthermore, using the special ‘Instant On’ feature, these cameras can be set up to record only when motion is detected, so you don’t have to scrub through the video to see what’s been happening while you’ve been out.
As an added benefit, you will receive a notification directly to your mobile device with a link to the video should the camera detect motion, so you can immediately call the authorities if necessary. You have the option of arming and disarming the system manually from the Blink app or setting a schedule so that the cameras activate automatically at the same time every day.
You must be aware that the Blink camera is indoors-only, while the Blink XT model can be used both indoors AND outdoors. The XT also offers night vision and is completely weatherproof. This model is more expensive, though, so if you are looking to monitor the inside and outside of your home you’d be better off buying both models to save some cash.
Lastly, should you have an Amazon Alexa at home, you can connect the Blink cameras to arm, disarm and get the latest information just using your voice.
Key Points
- 720p HD wireless security camera
- On-demand streaming via the Blink App
- One-way audio so you can listen in to any activity
- Manual or automatic arming/disarming
- Motion-activated, ‘instant on’ feature
- Mobile notifications should camera be triggered
- Connects to Amazon Alexa
If you worry about an intruder striking when you accidentally leave your home unsecured, Aeotec Door/Window Sensors offer a great solution.
Aeotec Door/Window Sensors use a Z-Wave system to monitor the status of doors and windows in your property. The sensors will know whether these key access points are open, closed, or have been impacted by an intruder. Once tripped, the tiny sensor will send a wireless signal to trigger connected alarms located more than 492 ft away and will also immediately notify the homeowner of the security breach on their cell phone.
The sensors are very subtle and thus are unlikely to stand out in your home. At only 0.35″ deep, they sit incredibly close to the application surface. Color isn’t an issue, either. Aeotec Door/Window Sensors are specifically designed to be painted in any color you choose, so you can ensure they’ll seamlessly blend in with your home decor.
If you worry about an intruder striking when you accidentally leave your home unsecured, Aeotec Door/Window Sensors offer a great solution.
As the sensors are battery operated, you may be concerned that you’ll need to remember to replace them frequently. In fact, the rechargeable batteries are super energy efficient; they will last up to 10 months per charge on regularly used doors and more than 12 months when affixed to your windows.
Installing these sensors is a breeze, too. They can be simply affixed to the corner of your important access windows and doors in minutes using the screws provided or double-sided sticky tape.
Key Points
- Super-easy to install
- Very thin and paintable so they’ll blend seamlessly with your decor
- Tiny sensor will trigger connected alarms and notify homeowner if tripped
- Z-Wave wireless signal stretches over 492 ft
- Rechargeable batteries last many months, even on frequently used doors
If you’re looking for an affordable solution to indoor home monitoring, the Wyze Cam V2 doesn’t disappoint. Video is recorded at 1080p HD and is guaranteed to be smooth and crisp with no blurring. It offers high-quality night vision as standard and incorporates an upgraded audio chip and amplifier for sharper sound capture. So, should an intruder access your home, you’ll be able to see and hear them clearly whether it’s the dead of night or middle of the day.
These smart motion and sound detectors will trigger the Wyze Cam V2 to start recording a 12 second video. This might not sound like much, but as soon as the recording begins, a notification is sent to your phone so you can check whether the activity is benign or a real threat. As an added bonus, the Wyze Cam is smart enough to recognize the sound of smoke alarms and CO monitors and will alert you should these alarms become triggered.
In line with other smart devices we have seen so far, the Wyze Cam V2 must be used alongside its dedicated app in order for you to get the most out of the product. Luckily, this app is just as intuitive to use. The live-feed and all the important controls are easy to find on the main screen and you get 14 days of free cloud storage included.
This might not sound like much, but as soon as the recording begins, a notification is sent to your phone so you can check whether the activity is benign or a real threat.
If you would like to record on a continuous basis, this can be achieved using a microSD card. The card slots into the base of the camera, and you must select “continuous recording” in the app settings to begin. To save you having to trawl through hours of footage, you can choose to record a time-lapse video, with multiple images snapped at particular intervals. This may be less efficient than motion activation if you’re worried about intruders, but will still come in handy if you want to keep an eye on a house-sitter for example. The Wyze Cam is compatible with IFTTT, Amazon Echo Spot, and Amazon Echo Show.
Key Points
- Very affordable price
- Small, unobtrusive design is easy to conceal
- Records at 1080p HD quality
- High-quality night vision and audio recording
- Motion activated 12 second video clips
- Recognizes smoke and CO alarms
- Mobile device notifications and alerts
- Continual recording with MicroSD card
- 14 days free cloud storage
Smart Things isn’t truly a home security product in its own right, but rather a ‘hub’ that is perfect for managing multiple security and smart home devices all in one place. This clever device can be connected to a huge range of devices, automating your security systems so you can enjoy greater peace of mind.
Cameras, door locks, doorbells, security gates, and motion sensors as well as light bulbs and thermostats can all be connected. The Smart Things system can also be combined with an ADT Security System which will leverage smoke, fire, flood, and carbon monoxide alarms and geofencing triggers to keep you and your property safe.
The Smart Things control panel has a 7-inch touchscreen, so you can easily view and manage all connected devices. You can also quickly arm all these security devices at the press of a button and also set up geofencing triggers with a few clicks.
As an added benefit, ADT’s subscription-based professional monitoring services can be combined with the Smart Things Hub for the ultimate in home defenses.
Key Points
- Smart Hub which can connect to and manage many devices at once
- Easily integrated with ADT Security Systems
- 7-inch touchscreen
- Features one button arming and disarming
- Simple to use geofencing triggers
Final Thoughts
As this article has shown, there is a wealth of products on the market that can help you to keep you, your family and your property safe. In the age of technology, it is easier than ever to keep a watchful eye over your home from both near and far. Many of the products on our list are effortlessly connected to mobile devices, thereby enabling you to answer the door remotely or get an instant notification is anything unexpected happens while you are away.
We are sure you’ll agree that all of the products we have seen will make fantastic additions to your home security systems and leave you feeling relaxed and secure whether you are tucked up in bed or away on vacation.
